Relief for ex-official in land scam

THE MADHYA Pradesh High Court here on Monday quashed the Special Court (Lokayukta) Jabalpur order of August 2006 that rejected the government?s application to drop the name of the then additional collector K C Shrivastava (now retired) from the much-talked-about multi-crore 44.70 acres land scam of Madhotal locality in Jabalpur.

THE MADHYA Pradesh High Court here on Monday quashed the Special Court (Lokayukta) Jabalpur order of August 2006 that rejected the government’s application to drop the name of the then additional collector K C Shrivastava (now retired) from the much-talked-about multi-crore 44.70 acres land scam of Madhotal locality in Jabalpur.

Justice Rakesh Saksena allowed the revision petition filed by Shrivastava seeking direction to set aside the special court order. HC granted its consent to withdraw the petitioner’s name from the case with the observation that the government’s application was proper and satisfies the requisite conditions of Section 321 of Criminal Procedure Code.

In January 2003, the State Economic Offence Wing filed a charge sheet in the special court against 11 persons including Shrivastava accusing them of causing revenue loss to the state exchequer in sale transaction of 44.70 acres.

Then additional collector Shrivastava, along with 10 others, were prosecuted under Sections 420, 467, 468, 47, 120-B of Indian Penal Code read with section 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act. For withdrawal of Shrivastava’s name, the government gave the plea that he was not deputed in Jabalpur when the deal was carried out. HTC